GENEVA (AFP) — New Syrian visa requirements on Iraqis have come into force, virtually halting the flow of Iraqi refugees through the main crossing between the two countries, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday.
"For the first time in months, if not years, UNHCR field workers visiting the Syrian-Iraq border yesterday found the crossing point virtually empty," Ron Redmond, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said.
"The regulations effectively mean there is no longer a safe place outside for Iraqis fleeing persecution and violence," he told journalists.
"An estimated 2,000 Iraqis flee their homes daily inside the country, so we are increasingly concerned about their fate as their options for safety are reduced," Redmond added.
Another prime destination for Iraqis fleeing sectarian violence, Jordan, said last week that it was considering requiring visas from Iraqis.
The UNHCR said the new visas for Iraqis trying to enter Syria, which were imposed on Monday, were being granted for commerce, science, transport and education.
"It is too early to evaluate whether Syria is making exceptions to this visa policy on humanitarian grounds for people fleeing violence and persecution," Redmond said.
Iraqis told the UNHCR that they would be putting their lives at risk by applying for the visa at the Syrian embassy in Baghdad, which is located in an area that is prone to sectarian violence, he added.
Syrian authorities have given the Geneva-based agency assurances that Iraqi refugees already inside the country would not be thrown out.
"Syria, of course, has been extremely generous in accepting some 1.4 million Iraqis with only limited international support," Redmond said.
Syria announced more than a week ago that it would impose the visa restrictions on Iraqis from September 10 in a bid to control the flood of refugees.
Since the US-led invasion of March 2003, more than 2.3 million Iraqis have headed abroad to flee violence, with most heading for Syria while some 750,000 sought refuge in Jordan.
The UNHCR has repeatedly called for more international help for the two countries, warning that health, education services and housing capacity were fast becoming overburdened.
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